Ban on church construction angers Sudanese, Meriam Ibrahim allowed to emigrate
All Saints' Cathedral (Anglican) is located in in Khartoum, the capital of Sudan. Sudan's government says the nation needs no more churches. RNS photo by Fredrick Nzwili
Christians in Sudan frequently face arrests, impromptu questioning, and expulsion. But conditions worsened after the government announced a ban on the construction of new churches.
Shalil Abdullah, the Sudanese minister for guidance and religious endowments, made the announcement in July, sparking criticism from top Christian clerics who warned of shrinking worship space in the mainly Muslim and Arab north.
South Sudan became an independent nation in 2011, and many Christians moved to that country, which has a large Christian population. But a sizable number remained in Sudan.
